If you missed out on placing a preorder for an Apple Watch because you thought you’d be able to wait until April 24 and then buy one from your local Apple Store, prepare to be disappointed.
That’s because — according to a new memo sent to Apple Store employees by retail chief Angela Ahrendts — no Apple Watches at all will be available to buy as walk-in purchases until June at the earliest: five weeks after Apple’s wearable devices begin shipping.
“Customers who pre-ordered will start receiving deliveries next Friday as planned, and I know you will do a great job helping them get set up,” Ahrendts writes. “Many of you have [also] been getting questions asking if we will have the watch available in store on April 24 for walk-in purchases. As we announced last week, due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now. I’ll have more updates as we get closer to in-store availability, but we expect this to continue through the month of May. It has not been an easy decision, and I want to share with you the thinking behind it.”
So far, pre-order estimates for the Apple Watch range from 1 to 2.3 million, although Apple has yet to publicly release its figures. According to more-reliable-than-most Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple hopes to produce 2-3 million units per month going forward, but is currently experiencing constraints due to issues with certain parts in the supply chain.
Source: Telegraph
Source: Telegraph
